With the coming of the Moranth
the tide turned.
And like ships in a harbour
the Free Cities were swept under
Imperial seas.
The war entered its twelfth year,
the Year of the Shattered Moon
and its sudden spawn
of deathly rain and
black-winged promise.
Two cities remained to contest
the Malazan onslaught.
One stalwart, proud banners
beneath Dark's powerful wing.
The other divided —
— without an army,
bereft of allies —
The strong city fell first.

Two years have passed since the Itko Kan Massacre. The chapter opens just after the bloody end of the Siege of Pale as Tattersail watches the Black Moranth marching into the city to exact their vengeance on Pale and Hairlock lies dying, missing his legs. Several Bridgeburners (Whiskeyjack, Sorry, Kalam, and Quick Ben) arrive. Whiskeyjack and the Bridgeburners had been tasked with undermining the walls of Pale for three years, and most were killed as the siege ended and tunnels collapsed. Of the 1400 Bridgeburners, only about 35-40 survived after the last day. Tayschrenn stopped the remaining Bridgeburners from trying to dig out their comrades.

Tattersail remembers back to earlier in the morning...

She is waking up with Calot, when Hairlock summons them both with magic. Arriving at the command tent, Tayschrenn and Hairlock are already there with Dujek appearing moments later. Dujek explains that they will be attacking Moon's Spawn directly, causing Hairlock to become paranoid and suspicious. The High Fist explains that a Claw has already been dispatched to distract the city's mages while their assault begins. Recalling the poem Anomandaris by Fisher kel Tath, Tattersail, Calot and Hairlock determine that the Lord of Moon's Spawn must be Anomander Rake himself, a wielder of the Elder magic of Kurald Galain. Tayschrenn explains that Bellurdan discovered information in the ancient tome Gothos' Folly regarding the Tiste Andii which may aid them in battle.

The Siege of Pale

The final battle of the Siege of Pale begins with Tayschrenn on a hill directly underneath Moon's Spawn, Nightchill, Bellurdan, and A'Karonys on another hill further away, and Tattersail, Hairlock, and Calot on the furthest hill. Tayschrenn makes the first attack on Moon's Spawn which disperses the Great Ravens who had lain there to roost into the sky. The other mages also began their assault, but are unexpectedly attacked from behind. These attacks lead to Hairlock being cut in two, Calot sacrificing himself to defend Tattersail, Nightchill being torn in two by a Kenryll'ah demon, and A'Karonys' death from an ice-based magical attack. The numerous sorcerous attacks originating from Moon's Spawn are deflected by Tayschrenn onto the defenceless 2nd and 5th armies situated on the plain, killing thousands in very little time. After sustaining heavy damage, Moon's Spawn retreats south, heading towards the Tahlyn Mountains.

Awakened from her gruesome reverie by the nearby Bridgeburners, Hairlock forces Tattersail to come to the conclusion that it was Tayschrenn and not Rake who had purposely tried to kill them. The impact of this shocking conclusion is compounded by her witnessing Quick Ben's use of ancient magic to soulshift Hairlock into a puppet's body. When asked by the Bridgeburners to accept the hidden puppet that has become Hairlock, she becomes part of their conspiracy against Tayschrenn to revenge the murder of so many of their comrades.

Agonizing over the soldiers whose deaths she feels responsible for, Tattersail returns to her tent, to find the package she was given by Quick Ben, containing the soulshifted puppet of Hairlock, is moving. Faced with the puppet she is beset with fear and instinctively opens herself to her Warren. Tattersail feels a need to conduct a reading of the Deck of Dragons. With Hairlock as witness, she plays two cards, the Knight of High House Dark, and Oponn, the twin Jesters of chance, then decides to hold on these which enrages Hairlock. The playing reveals the presence of a spinning coin, only noticed by Tattersail, giving her cautious hope for the future.